Date added: 5/13/2024

Auction company CEO and antique advertising expert Rich Penn joins Morphy Auctions in newly-created role

DENVER, PA.- Dan Morphy, founder and president of Morphy Auctions, announced today that renowned Iowa auction company CEO and antique advertising specialist Rich Penn has joined Morphy’s in the newly-created role of Market Development Officer. From his base in Waterloo, Iowa, Penn will work in tandem with Morphy’s marketing team, which is led by Chief Operating Officer and Director of Marketing Les Jones, and advise on the latest technological innovations as they apply to the auction process. Additionally, he will liaise with consignors whose collections incorporate a broad range of categories, including antique advertising, toys and country store antiques; classic cars and petroliana; sports memorabilia, and other collectibles categories.

“I believe every aspect of an auction house’s operation should be customer-driven. Dan and I operate very similarly in that regard. His sales and ours cover a lot of the same ground, and importantly, our business principles are very similar,” Rich Penn said. “Both of our companies are known for their integrity and attentive customer service throughout the auction process. We do things in a first-class manner or not at all. In my new role, I especially look forward to working with clients and making sure their collections are given the marketing attention they deserve and that we deliver maximum auction results for them.”

Dan Morphy said: “I have known Rich Penn and his wife, Sharon, for almost 20 years. I have always admired, respected and, in many ways, learned from their savvy approach to marketing and advertising. Their dealings with customers, both at the buying and selling end, have always been conducted at the highest level. I am proud to say that their methods influenced the way I built my own business. I would also add that when it comes to meeting with potential consignors and crafting proposals, you won’t find a better team than Rich and Sharon Penn. Their gracious, businesslike approach, combined with their knowledge of art and antiques, creates a comfort level that clients really appreciate.”

Rich Penn earned his BA in both Marketing and Business Management from the University of Northern Iowa and his MSJ (master’s degree in Journalism) from Northwestern University. Following grad school, he joined the workforce and relocated to the Midwest’s commercial advertising hub, Chicago, where he accepted a position as account manager for major national brands at the distinguished advertising firm J Walter Thompson. In three short years, he became the youngest VP at Thompson’s Chicago office. Rich subsequently returned to Iowa, where he spent 10 years teaching marketing and advertising at the University of Northern Iowa. In 1982, he married his wife, Sharon, and also established his own boutique advertising agency. One of his first clients was Victorian Casino, a Las Vegas auction house specializing in antique gambling and coin-op machines, and antique advertising, collecting fields that had long interested Penn. (n.b., Victorian Casino was acquired by Morphy Auctions in 2014.)

In 1999, Penn and his wife, Sharon, opened Rich Penn Auctions, a collector-focused business that gained a large and loyal following and earned national acclaim along the way. In recognition of Penn’s superlative marketing skills, the National Auctioneers Association, Iowa Auctioneers Assn., and NEI Marketing & Advertising Club have honored Rich with a total of more than 50 awards. The award categories included newspaper and magazine advertising, catalogs, video, social media, website and publicity. Two were coveted Best in Show awards.

Penn describes the auction business as one that is “built on relationships.” One of those relationships has been his long friendship with Dan Morphy, whose multinational operation has had a strong involvement in the antique advertising hobby since its earliest days.

“Dan and I got into the auction business around the same time. I had written a couple of books about collectibles, including one on country store items. He found out I was out there, reached out to me, and I ended up giving him boxes of my books to sell at his Pennsylvania gallery. That’s how we got to talking and became friends,” Penn recalled.

“Dan first approached me about doing something together around 17 years ago,” Penn continued. “My eyes and ears were open, but I didn’t want to sell my company. Recently, he tried again. He had a plan that would make everyone happy, and the timing made sense.”

As part of the newly-forged agreement, Rich Penn Auctions will continue to conduct online-only timed auctions, but not their traditional cataloged auctions. Their last such auction will be held live at Penn’s Iowa venue on May 17-19. “Tentatively, we will shift our business gears this summer, following that final live gallery auction,” Penn said.

The new union will be further cemented December 6-8 in Las Vegas when Morphy’s launches its series of sales featuring Rich and Sharon Penn’s acclaimed personal collection. Penn remarked: “Morphy’s has been in our trust planning from the beginning. We knew no one else could handle the auction of our collection like Dan. But it’s happening now, and best of all, we get to see it happen!”

Dan Morphy observed: “Rich and Sharon Penn have spent many years putting together a collection that is unquestionably one of the finest of its type. It includes stellar coin-op, vending and penny arcade machines, plus exquisite antique advertising that represents many popular subcategories. Every item in their collection was handpicked with an emphasis on high condition, rarity and eye appeal. I’m excited to have the privilege of bringing this unique collection to the market and am even more excited about our future prospects with Rich Penn involved in his new key role at Morphy’s.”

https://artdaily.cc/news/168530/Auction-company-CEO-and-antique-advertising-expert-Rich-Penn-joins-Morphy-Auctions-in-newly-created-role-

Date added: 7/21/2017

NAA 2017 Best In Show Award

Indianapolis: July 13, 2017 - Winners of the 2017 National Auctioneers Association Marketing Competition, presented in partnership with USA TODAY, have been announced. Three “Best in Show” honors emerged from among more than 850 entries.

Rich Penn, of Rich Penn Auctions, in Waterloo, Iowa, won “Best in Show — of all Advertising & PR – Print entries” for the “Iowa Gas Auction” catalog. The Awards were presented by Scott Shuman, NAA President and Toussaint Hutchinson of USA Today. Penn said, “What an honor! This is our second Best of Show Award and it’s humbling when your peers recognize you this way.” He added, “We work very hard to do the best marketing we can for the clients we serve. Winning an award like this is truly validation for all the hard work.” Penn won four other awards for their Personal Property and Antique catalogs and direct mail material. Rich Penn Auctions has been in business for nearly 20 years and has served clients nationwide.

All award recipients in the 2017 contest were formally recognized during the NAA Marketing Competition Awards Reception in Columbus, Ohio, at the 68th International Auctioneers Conference and Show, July 11-15. Recipients were presented with their awards at that time.

Overall, the annual NAA Marketing Competition, continues as the premier contest for NAA members to showcase their marketing efforts. The total number of entries again showed healthy member participation as seen over the past several years, and the quality level of those entries again was impressive. This year, top-level marketing efforts came forth from 22 states ranging nearly coast-to-coast.

The task of determining winners was given to a panel of marketing and advertising professionals who represent backgrounds in branding, promotion, media, public relations and graphic design. Judging criteria included considerations such as creativity, message, ad effectiveness, clarity and visual appeal.

Date added: 11/7/2014

Iowa Gas & Rich Penn Auctions Gear Up for August 2015

Ron Hoyt from the Iowa Gas Swap Meet and Rich & Sharon Penn made an important announcement at Penn's October Auction. “We're joining forces.” said Penn. “We'll be working with Ron and his partner John Logsdon to put on the auction at Iowa Gas in August of 2015 in Des Moines, IA.” Iowa Gas is widely known as the nation's biggest and best Gas & Oil Show and Auction. Rich Penn Auctions is known for putting on high quality auctions with a global following and also conducting them in Des Moines.

Ron Hoyt offered, “Rich and I have been talking for quite a while. When we talked at his October auction, Rich was showing me the over 2,000 bidders from over 40 countries. So when you look at our show in Des Moines, and Rich & Sharon coming from Waterloo, to do their auctions in Des Moines... it's like we're next door neighbors. He can bring the entire world to our Gas & Oil people.” Penn added, “We've known Ron for a long time and we've been coming to the show for years. It seemed like a natural fit. Sharon and I are both excited about it. So is our auction crew.” John stated, “It 's our intention to keep Iowa Gas the biggest and best. We feel it's absolutely necessary to offer our buyers and sellers the best possible experience. When we make changes for Iowa Gas...that's always our main concern. After researching options we decided this was the best choice and will enhance the auction experience for everyone at the show.”

Penn has been in the auction business since 2000 and was one of the first auction houses to introduce online live bidding. Their following is now world wide. Penn belongs to both the National Auctioneer's Association and the Iowa Auctioneers Association. His company has won dozens of National awards for their marketing and advertising. “We're looking forward to shifting into a new level of activity for Iowa Gas,” said Penn, “We're fueling up for the long haul and we've already started lining up consignments for this auction.” He went on, “We don't have as much room in this auction as we do in our 1,500 – 2,000 lot auctions. So we expect it will fill up quickly.”

Interested participants should contact Rich Penn or Ron Hoyt.

Rich Penn 319-291-6688 or Rich@RichPennAuctions.com
Ron Hoyt 515-276-2099 or Ron@CarterPrinting.net

For more info coming soon:
www.RichPennAuctions.com
www.IowaGas.com

Date added: 07/17/2013

Date added: 05/16/2011

Press Release: May 16, 2011

Today the National Aucitoneers Association (NAA) announced that Rich Penn Auctions will be given six first place USA Today awards for Penn's marketing programs in 2010.

NAA Awards Release Page

 

Date added: 05/06/2011

Mosler Sample Safe - World Record Bid!

Auctioneer Jodi Sweeney assists Fred Van Metre catch the winning world record bid of $35,000 for the salesman's sample Mosler safe. The safe sold at The Rich Penn Auction Event for the Wayne & Shirley Woodrum collection. Over 400 in house bidders and over a thousand online bidders, from 15 countries, competed for the 1,500 + lots just sold at the Dayton Expo Center May 5, 6 & 7.

 

Date added: 04/28/2011

America Illuminated

The saleroom lights are likely to have to be dimmed during three days of auctions in Ohio next week, so the auctioneer will not be blinded by the lots: about 500 neon clocks, from the collection of the clock repairman Wayne Woodrum.

For previews starting Thursday, Rich Penn Auctions will hang the timepieces on pegboards around an expo center near Dayton. The clocks, mainly made between the 1930s and ’50s, advertise now-obscure products with slogans like “White Oak Smokeless Coal, the Suns Only Rival” and “Red Goose Shoes, They’re Half the Fun of Having Feet.”

Mr. Woodrum has been fixing, collecting and selling clocks for four decades, trolling flea markets with his wife and two children. “And sometimes we’d even take the dog,” he said during a recent phone interview. As the proprietor of Wayne’s Neon Clocks in New Carlisle, Ohio, he received phone calls from owners of decrepit commercial strips who had just made discoveries on their roofs.

The callers, he said, would announce: “There’s an old clock laying up here. If you want it, come and get the thing.” He has also studied the history of neon-clock manufacturers. They would offer unconditional guarantees for repairs and replace a clock that had been stolen. “Interstate highways put them out of business,” he said; the neon slogans were no longer legible from the road. Every time he thinks he has encountered all of the clock models in existence, he said, “As soon as I go ’round the corner, there’ll be something I run across, something I’ve never heard of before, just sitting on someone’s table as if it were as common as a pair of shoes.”

The clocks are mostly expected to bring a few thousand dollars each. Values are higher for faces with spinning wheels, and hands and numerals that light up. Multiple layers of concave glass can also increase prices, in certain regions. “A lot of folks in the Carolinas,” he said, “just went nuts over double-bubbles.”

By EVE M. KAHN

Published: April 28, 2011

New York Times: Original Source